Simon Laveuve’s Scaled-Down Tableaux Reveal Post-Apocalyptic Lifestyles

There is always something a bit uncanny about Simon Laveuve’s playful miniatures. Whether a ramshackle residence is built impossibly tall or seems to be both upside-down and right-side-up at the same time, we’re drawn into a strange yet alluring world filled with a range of precisely rendered homes and hangouts.

Laveuve is known for his meticulously sculpted miniatures that evoke post-apocalyptic settings, from stilt houses hovering precariously on rock formations to playful amalgamations of numerous “found objects” like tires and old windows. Typically crafted at 1/24 or 1/35 scale, these tiny tableaux are devoid of people yet feel lived in, as if the inhabitants have just stepped away.

a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of a small room tableau with geometric rays pointing off in all directions — “La Beauté Des Aurores” (2025), from ‘Les Étoiles,’ mixed media, 1/35 scale, 19 x 28 x 13 centimeters

Some of Laveuve’s sculptures feature multiple levels, while others focus on a particular interaction between, say, a beach umbrella that someone appears to have pitched not too long ago next to a car that has been abandoned for years, with giant roots growing through the hood. Whether installed on the wall or propped up on a post, the scenes reveal new details when viewed from different vantage points.

Laveuve has been exceptionally productive lately, as Galerie Decorde just exhibited 10 pieces at an art fair in Strasbourg, France, and the artist has work included in Lucas Nadel’s show at Tagliatella Galleries in Paris, which opens on November 22 and continues through December 20. Among other projects, Galerie Decorde will also include Laveuve’s work in its December group show.

Check out Laveuve’s website, and follow updates on Instagram.

a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve, held by the artist's hand for scale, of a shack-like building with a tree and a children's slide — “Rêve De Cime” (2025), from ‘Les Étoiles,’ mixed media, 1/35 scale, 34 x 16 x 11 centimeters

a detail of a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve focused on a children's slide nestled in a mossy yard — Detail of “Rêve De Cime”

a detail of a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of a small room tableau — Detail of “La Beauté Des Aurores”

the rear view of a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of an abandoned car with a large root growing through the hood, with a beach umbrella propped up next to it — “Une Place Au Soleil” (2025) from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 31 x 26 x 20 centimeters

a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of an abandoned car with a tree growing out of the hood, set against a sunrise — “Jour De Fête” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 38 x 26 x 18 centimeters

a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of an abandoned car with a tree growing out of the hood — “Jour De Fête” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 38 x 26 x 18 centimeters

a detail of a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of an abandoned car with a tree growing out of the hood — Detail of “Jour De Fête”

a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of a car and rusty wreckage — “Fleur d’IPN” (2025), from ‘Vestige,’ mixed media, 1/24 scale, 33 x 30 x 21 centimeters

a detail of a hand-sculpted miniature by Simon Laveuve of a rusty, wrecked car — Detail of “Fleur d’IPN”

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